“Sea vegetables provide a great number of necessary minerals and vitamins. They help the body detox and are rich in iodine, which is toxic to breast cancer cells. Both wakame and kombu stimulate the immune system and encourage cells to die in a normal way.”Thriver Soup, pg. 137

“I also found out that stress depresses the immune system by repressing the white blood cells.”Thriver Soup, pg. 178

“Aloe vera has an anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor gel that stimulates the immune system and protects against the ill effects of radiation treatment.”Thriver Soup, pg. 136

“Honey has been used since ancient times as part of traditional medicine. It works as an antibacterial, antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral agent, probably because of its flavonoids.”Thriver Soup, pg. 47

There are so, so many legitimate things to feel angry about right now. Cancer. Your changed life. Now the coronavirus pandemic. The basic, reliable structures of your life have collapsed, compounding your pain. It feels so overwhelming.

Your rage is multiplied, complicated, and justified. And on top of that, you are locked up, either alone or with loved ones, as if a prisoner in your own home. It’s like you’re sitting in your personal pressure cooker, where grief, resentments, and blame build to the explosive point.

It’s something none of us have really dealt with before. It’s a hard time for all of us.

We want relief from that constant niggling agitation we might feel. Our minds acknowledge that life is way out of whack, but that doesn’t always translate into compassion for ourselves and each other. To cope, it seems easiest to disconnect our awareness from our bodies. We sometimes end up self-destructing with food and alcohol and maybe even lashing out at those whom we love. I find myself eating a lot more chocolate and popcorn these days, and I have been less patient with my son.

Even though our ways of dealing with stress can be quick fixes to ease our discomfort, they are ineffective ways of coping. While we might feel some sense of relief, these knee-jerk reactions usually make us feel worse in the end.

Processing

We can’t control these difficult external events, but we can control our internal attitudes, behaviors, and choices. We get to choose if we are going to be victims of our circumstances, or if we’re going to rise up and take responsibility for ourselves and our own lives.

If we look underneath our anger, grief, and sorrow, we will probably find an incredible sense of powerlessness, as if the floor is giving way underneath us. It may not feel like it at the time, but this sensation is just an emotion—energy in motion within our bodies. While it’s scary to feel these feelings for what they are, our emotions alone do no harm. They are the result of a chemical dump from our brains into our bloodstreams. For the emotions to lift—which is where we can find relief—these sensations need to be deeply felt without our minds running interference.

So have a seat, or lie down on your bed. Tune in to your body. Where is that irritating feeling of powerlessness sitting? Can you feel the rage putting pressure someplace inside you? If so, take a moment to feel it. Allow it to be what it is without any thoughts or words. Give it your whole, undivided attention without judgment. That’s all it wants, anyway.

Your emotions, if felt fully and deeply, will lift after ninety seconds. If it lasts longer than ninety seconds, you’re probably engaging your mind and thinking about what’s bothering you. That’s not helping you right now. Let the thoughts go, and if you can’t, write them down and shred them. Then try the process again.

Another strategy you can use is to breathe deeply while mindfully observing your anger, grief, and powerlessness. Just look at it. Don’t judge it or act on it. Instead, have compassion for whatever it is you’re feeling. It’s a human response to an inhumane situation; there is no logical reason to feel ashamed or guilty about your feelings.

By loving yourself enough to experience the energy moving inside your body, without thinking about what makes you upset, you can allow it to harmlessly shift around until it evaporates.

Integrating

Once the emotions lift, you can begin reorganizing your reality, away from the victim mentality and toward opportunities, learning, and desires. There are so many free educational and entertaining options available online. Perhaps focus on gratitude that these choices—vastly more wonderful than at any other time in history—are accessible to you right here, right now. I find these gifts extraordinary.

For example, I finally got my son to watch the movie “The Cold Blue” so he could see what his grandfather lived through during World War II. I watched a documentary about children’s show host Fred Rogers, of “Won’t you be my neighbor?” fame, and was amazed. Fred had the uncanny ability to explain difficult concepts, like “assassination,” to help children cope with national crises. Most recently, I participated in free online meditations.

These would never have happened without the lockdown and the generosity of others. With gratitude, I find my attention shifts and so does my internal awareness. It’s a lovely, empowering gift to myself and relieves the stress of living in lockdown.

“carrots and mushrooms help the body produce more white blood cells. This explains the emphasis on carrot juicing among health practitioners. Beta-carotene, which makes carrots orange, apparently protects the thymus gland. Maitake mushrooms are helpful as well.”Thriver Soup, p.61

“My chiropractor, M. Jay Panyko, suggested visualizing white blood cells emerging from my thymus gland like popcorn. Or you can try the image of a blizzard emerging from your bones. Play with various images until you find what works for you.”Thriver Soup, pg. 62

“Acupressure–pressing the energy pathways that course through the body–can be used to improve immunity. Place your right heel in the juncture between the bones that attach to the large and second toes. Rub, then switch sides.”Thriver Soup, p. 156

A system of hand and finger gestures, called mudras or hand yoga, was developed long ago in India to enhance health.
“To improve immunity: Bend your ring finger and little finger and touch them with the tip of your thumb. Keep the remaining two fingers stretched out and touching each other.
“While doing the gestures, try to keep your hands as relaxed as possible, and maintain gentle pressure. Adding deep breathing is a plus.”Thriver Soup, p. 173

“EFT also can provide support for … improving immunity…. I used EFT and other processes fairly effectively for raising my white blood cell counts.
“There are many online videos for tapping to achieve a variety of results. Look for one associated with your issue. EFT practitioners recommended to me include Rebecca Marina and Margaret Lynch, both of whom have YouTube videos showing their techniques. I took one of Lynch’s EFT videos and adapted the wording to suit my particular need. Create your own dialogue, using their patterns, for an effective self-treatment.”Thriver Soup, pp.202-203

“Dean Ornish, MD, explained part of the mechanism in his book, ‘Love and Survival.’ One’s immune system loses some of its effectiveness when a person experiences marital conflict, and women are more prone to negative changes than men.”Thriver Soup, pg. 97

“Polysaccharide-K (PSK, also known as PSP and Krestin) is derived from a mushroom commonly called turkey tail. Double-blind studies have demonstrated increased survival rates among those taking PSK because these mushrooms affect the malignant process in several ways. Their two primary benefits are stimulating the immune system and working against tumors.”Thriver Soup, pg. 134

About Heidi Bright

Hi, I’m Heidi Bright, an aggressive end-stage cancer survivor. I know the terror and powerlessness of a difficult diagnosis. After managing two years of cancer treatment, using carefully selected integrative therapies, and healing my life, I entered radical remission in 2011. If you are ready to transform and heal your life, get started with my FREE “10 Quick-start Healing Solutions.”

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